Company leadership wanting to document new standardized systems and procedures, or revise existing processes, first makes clear to all employees that the initiative is essential to the future profitability and success of the company. This is best accomplished by the president of the company issuing a written message that the collaboration & support of all employees in the company is a clear expectation. In larger firms, this approach is a formal, ongoing initiative, or part of the corporate culture, utilizing a permanent quality assurance department. Representatives from each of the stakeholder departments appointed by management execute the initiative with the group commonly referred to as a Process Improvement Team (PIT). Each member commits to a minimum of weekly meetings, researching & confirming best practices, authoring drafts for processes involving their departments and providing review & comments.
However, often people do not want to write policies and procedures and/or do not know how to write effectively. It can be taxing to think deeply about company processes, as well as iron out the inefficiencies and mitigate the risks. Moreover, often the people tasked with writing the policies/procedures have little bandwidth beyond their “day jobs” and/or experience in working on such a project.
Whether done by an internal PIT or through use of a third-party professional documentation consultant, a department manager is appointed as project manager by management leadership and the seps below achieve the desired documentation outcomes.
Research
The project manager prepares a preliminary list of systems, procedures, and forms to write, re-write or redesign. Senior company leadership reviews & confirms the list, prioritizing the operating processes for the documentation schedule. The manager and PIT members gather existing forms, emails, meeting minutes and system guides about the practices selected for documentation and review them along with user groups to obtain initial ideas for proposed new practices, process revisions & form designs.
Format Determination
Typically, the project manager selects a format for the documentation through discussion with leadership. Typically, a simple style guide is created including {a} process format (i.e., basic, outline or ISO compatible) samples; {b} numbering method (i.e., simple bulleted, numeric, alpha-numeric); {c} hint, figure & exhibit content rules; {d} point of view (first, second or third person); and verb tense (past, present, future). While using present verb tense for process documentation is common; distinct types of documents may require alternate formats & numbering and a mixture of points of view to achieve desired effectiveness. For example, numeric numbering is common in ISO compatible documentation while authors use alpha-numeric for less formal basic and outline formatted process documents. Similarly, process body copy works best in third person (“He/She/The [position title]) while embedded hints & separate exhibits (used for “how to” form instructions & unique or complex process details) use second person (“You”).
Writing the First Draft
Writing a process starts with outlining the primary steps of the process based on the research results. Under each primary step, adding the supporting steps & details builds a “Rough Draft” and supports concept confirmation. Multiple iterations of this draft by one or more authors are prepared before user groups are engaged for review and comment. This includes adding figures (e.g., images of report excerpts or other important examples) and creation of form exhibit images and instruction text. The author does one or two separate reviews to remove extraneous words and ensure proper use of grammar & punctuation. A review of the resulting “Rough Draft” by one or more user groups to assure accuracy is a common next step before publishing an official “first draft.” A last round of review & editing by the author based on inputs received turns the rough draft into the draft ready for formal review & comment.
Review and Comment Cycles
The project manager routes the first draft to all department stakeholders and leadership management for detailed review and comment including a fixed deadline for completion & submission of written comments (preferably via use of tracking comments or similar features found in common word processing applications) After the receipt of comments, the author researches and discusses comments received with appropriate department stakeholders, making edits as needed. After receiving extensive feedback, the project manager may direct the preparation of one or more drafts, each followed by a review & comment round.
NOTE: Conduct “test runs” of related systems & forms, if required.
Final Draft Preparation
Once the project manager has consensus on the various elements of feedback received during the review & comment rounds, the project manager directs the author to prepare a “Final Draft” for formal management approval. This draft is free of all comments & notations made during review and is ready for release to users following final management approval. Depending upon the size of company preparing the process documentation and the formality of legal, human resources, and regulatory requirements, some level of management may be involved in the review and comment rounds before this final management approval step.
Leadership Management Approval
The project manager submits the final draft to leadership management for final review and approval for implementation. If the management review results in a need for edits, the review and comments step involving department stakeholders is repeated by the project manager to ensure unintended complications or functional conflicts were not created in these final edits. Leadership management approval is recorded in the “revision history” section of the process document. The final version of the process document is prepared , usually in password protected PDF format stored in a “shared drive” library, and an implementation target established.
Implementation & Training
Depending upon the length & complexity of the process, the project manager selects a target date for implementation once the level & methods of training needed have been determined. Scheduled department training team meetings or “huddles” are used to introduce the process into the workforce, typically by the department managers responsible for proper user performance of the process. In a formal ISO setting, preparing training rosters for trainees is a normal requirement whereas in less formal settings simple email confirmation to the project manager and/or senior management of training sessions by department managers is sufficient. During this period, printing, and distribution of new or revised forms occurs so samples are available for training. In the future, users routinely forward recommendations for revisions in processes, systems and methods adopted to the project manager, or a department manager, leading to repetition in these steps as part of a culture of continuous process improvement.